The birthplace of Su embroidery is in Wuxian County, Suzhou, and it is now spread across many areas. The Qing Dynasty was the heyday of Su embroidery. It can be said that schools multiplied and famous craftsmen competed. Su embroidery has a unique style of beautiful patterns, ingenious conception, meticulous embroidery work, lively stitching, elegant colors, and strong local characteristics. The embroidery technique has the characteristics of "flat, neat, harmonious, smooth, smooth and even".

Su embroidery is the general name for embroidery products in Suzhou, and the embroidery in Zhenhu Town (now a street) in the High-tech Zone of Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute is the most famous. Su embroidery is Suzhou embroidery. Its birthplace is in the Wuxian area of ??Suzhou, with Suzhou as the center. It has now spread to Yangzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Suqian, Dongtai and other places in Jiangsu Province. Jiangsu, where Su embroidery is produced, has fertile land, a mild climate, developed sericulture, and is rich in silk. It has been the hometown of splendid embroidery since ancient times. The superior geographical environment, gorgeous and rich brocades, and colorful flower threads have created favorable conditions for the development of Su embroidery. According to "Shuo Yuan" written by Liu Xiang of the Western Han Dynasty, as early as the Spring and Autumn Period more than 2,000 years ago, Su embroidery was used in the state of Wu for clothing. During the Three Kingdoms period, King Sun Quan of Wu once ordered the sister of Prime Minister Zhao Da to embroider the "Picture of the Nations". According to the "Secret Collection of the Qing Dynasty", Su embroidery "The embroidery of the Song Dynasty is made with fine needles and threads, using one or two threads and needles as fine as hair. The coloring is exquisite and the brilliance is eye-catching." It can be seen that the art of Su embroidery in the Song Dynasty has achieved considerable high level. The ancient cultural city of Suzhou is known as the "Paradise on Earth". The Suzhou embroidery art nurtured in this beautiful environment has long been famous around the world. Small bridges, flowing water, people's houses, gardens, Kunqu Opera, and delicious food. Classical layout, poetic Jiangnan. Two thousand and five hundred years of Suzhou culture

Suzhou embroidery boutiques

are shining brightly. Su embroidery is the most beautiful complex in the life of Jiangnan girls. Those embroidery cloths, stretchers, suede needles, and flower threads, their attached eyes will never leave the Jiangnan girls who are as clear as grass and flowers. Even when Ren Yi grows old, they will not leave their eyes in Jiangnan. This is unforgettable love. Su Xiu has a love that lasts forever for the girl from Jiangnan. The whole world knows that there is a craft called Su embroidery in Suzhou, China. The beauty of female beauty is like a spring breeze. The birthplace of Su embroidery is in the Wuxian area of ??Suzhou. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period more than 2,000 years ago, the state of Wu had already used embroidery for clothing. By the Ming Dynasty, Jiangnan had become the center of the silk weaving handicraft industry. In terms of painting art, the Wu School of Painting, represented by Tang Yin (Bohu) and Shen Zhou, emerged, which promoted the development of embroidery. Embroidery artists combine paintings with their works to recreate them. The masterpieces they embroider are lifelike and full of charm of pen and ink. They are known as "painting with needles" and "unparalleled craftsmanship". Since then, embroidery art has formed its own unique artistic style in terms of stitching, color and pattern. It has become famous in art gardens and rivals the art of calligraphy and painting. The Qing Dynasty was the heyday of Su embroidery, and it developed greatly after liberation. It can be said that the genres multiplied, famous artists competed, and the themes were broad. In the past, a large number of embroideries enjoyed by the royal family were almost all made by Suzhou embroidery artists. Now China's Suzhou embroidery craftsmanship has reached a very high level. The embroidery has won many international and domestic awards. There are complete types of embroidery: according to the variety, there are double-sided embroidery and single-sided embroidery; according to the volume and shape, there are table screens, wall screens, floor screens and large combination screens; according to the performance content, there are people, pets, flowers and birds, and landscapes. , still life, characteristic buildings... Beijing Fulton Gallery Art Design Center is a company specializing in the research and development of high-quality embroidery. Since its establishment, it has provided embroidery for state banquets for the Great Hall of the People many times, and has even given it as a precious gift to foreign ambassadors, becoming a national and international As a gift for exchanges between countries, the huge Suzhou embroidery "Magnificent Mountains and Rivers"

was given to the Russian Embassy. The workmanship is extremely fine, and a method of soft mounting of embroidery was developed to softly mount the embroidery into a scroll, which greatly improved the Ease of shipping of finished embroidery. It is a necessary decoration for high-end shopping malls and hotels. Edit this paragraph's craft characteristics

Suzhou embroidery has a long history. Suzhou embroidery sutras have been unearthed from Ruiguang Pagoda and Huqiu Pagoda built in the Five Dynasties and Northern Song Dynasty. Su embroidery can be used in needlework. Applying needles, this is the earliest Suzhou embroidery object discovered so far. According to relevant historical records, since the Song Dynasty, Suzhou embroidery technology has been very prosperous and the craftsmanship has become increasingly mature. In the countryside, "every family raises silkworms and every household does embroidery." There are also embroidery lanes, rolling embroidery lanes, brocade lanes, embroidery lanes and other lanes in the city, which shows the prosperity of Suzhou embroidery. At that time, not only did some people make a living from embroidery, but ladies from wealthy families also often used it to pass their time and cultivate their temperament. The names of the so-called "folk embroidery", "boudoir embroidery" and "palace embroidery" came from this. Su embroidery was even more prosperous in the Qing Dynasty

Su embroidery ornaments

Unprecedented, Suzhou was known as the "Embroidery City" and became famous all over the world. At that time, there were many acupuncture methods and their applications were wider than those of the previous dynasties. Landscapes, pavilions, flowers and birds, and figures were all capable of and worked on. Coupled with the huge needs of the palace, luxurious and gorgeous embroidery products emerged in endlessly. Su embroidery later absorbed the characteristics of Shanghai's "Gu Embroidery" and Western paintings, creating a style with strong light and dark and a rich three-dimensional effect. Su embroidery has a unique style with beautiful patterns, ingenious conception, meticulous embroidery work, lively stitching techniques, elegant colors, and strong local characteristics. The embroidery technique has the characteristics of "flat, neat, harmonious, smooth, smooth and even". "Flat" means that the embroidery surface is flat; "Qi" means that the edges of the pattern are neat; "thin" means that the needle is fine and the embroidery thread is fine; "dense" means that the lines are arranged compactly and the stitches are not exposed; "harmony" means that the coloring is appropriate; " "Light" refers to dazzling brilliance and bright color; "Shun" refers to the smooth and round texture of the silk; "Even" refers to the fine and even lines and consistent density. In terms of types, Su embroidery works can be mainly divided into three categories: zero cuts, costumes, and hanging screens, which are both decorative and practical.

Among them, the "double-sided embroidery" works are the most exquisite. The main artistic characteristics of Su embroidery works are: landscapes can distinguish the interests of distance and near; pavilions can show the depth of the body; figures can have a vivid feeling of looking at them; flowers and birds can express the intimacy of intimacy. Su embroidery's imitation painting embroidery and photo embroidery are famous all over the world for their realistic artistic effects. Edit this paragraph to classify embroidery

·Divided by Su embroidery stitches

Su embroidery pays attention to changes in needle movement. So far, the commonly used Su embroidery stitches in Su embroidery tutorials are: Qi stitch and loose set. , acupuncture, virtual and real acupuncture, random acupuncture, dotting, yarn stabbing, stitching, needle rolling, beating, buckling stitches, set set, forward grabbing, reverse grabbing, etc. The number of commonly used ones has increased from more than 10 to the current forty or fifty. Suzhou embroidery can be divided into two categories according to its use: decorative (single-sided embroidery, double-sided embroidery) and practical (handkerchiefs, purses). Suzhou embroidery can be divided into two categories according to its appearance: single-sided embroidery and double-sided embroidery.

Peony Bird

Suzhou embroidery stitching methods can be divided into two categories in modern times: random stitch embroidery and flat embroidery. Traditional Suzhou Embroidery Needle Methods and Their Applications 1. Straight Embroidery 1. Straight Needle: Embroider the formed body completely with vertical lines. The rising and falling stitches are all on the edge, all in parallel arrangement, and the edges are neat. Color matching is one color line per unit, there is no harmonious color. Where the stitches were too long, threads were added to pin them, and later it evolved into a stitching technique of spreading stitches and carving. 2. Wrapping needles: It is an embroidery work that uses short diagonal lines to wrap around the body. The needles start from one side and drop the needles there, and the direction is the same. 2. Panning needles: Panning needles are acupuncture techniques that express curved shapes. Including four types: needle cutting, needle connecting, needle rolling, and rotating needle. Among them, the cutting needle is the earliest, and later developed into the rotating needle. 1. Cutting needle: also called "thorn needle". The needles are connected to each other and pricked. The second needle must be connected to the original eye of the first needle. The stitches must be as thin as fish roe. The so-called "one sesame seed and three needles" lies in this. 2. Connecting the needle: The straight needle line can be elongated, but if it is too long, the thread will be loose and will be thrown up. Cutting the needle lengthens the line but exposes the stitches. 3. Rolling needle: Rolling needle is also called curved needle. The needle is pressed tightly to embroider. Insert the second needle into the middle of the first needle, slightly forward, pressing against the thread, and hide the stitch under the thread. The third needle is connected to the first stitch and the tail is slightly forward, and so on. 4. Rotating needle: It is a stitching method that uses the method of connecting the needle or rolling the needle to circle and embroider. When embroidering, use short needles to follow the swirling lines of the body, making sure the stitches are even and dense without revealing the stitches. 3. Trocar needle: It started in the Tang Dynasty and became popular in the Song Dynasty. It was further developed in the Luxiangyuan Gu Embroidery in the Ming Dynasty and Shen Shou in the Qing Dynasty. 1. Single set: Also known as flat set. The embroidery method is: the first batch of needles are started from the edge, and the edges are neat; the second batch of needles are placed in the first batch, and the first batch needs to leave a line of space to accommodate the second batch of needles; the third batch needs to be Transfer the last one centimeter of the first batch, and then leave a gap for the fourth batch of needles; the fourth batch is inserted into the last one centimeter of the second batch...; and so on. 2. Double sets: The embroidery method of double sets is the same as that of single sets, except that the embroidery is deeper and the number of batches is shorter than that of single sets. It is connected to the fourth batch and the first batch, that is, the second batch is connected to three-quarters of the first batch, the third batch is connected to two-quarters of the first batch, and the fourth batch is connected to the first batch of four-quarters. One point. 3. Wooden comb set: Its embroidery method is the same as that of single set, but it is looser than single set. It is after the first batch comes out of the edge, the second batch is inserted into the half of the first batch, and one stitch is inserted into every other thread. sandwiched into the gap.

Suzhou embroidery

4. Set embroidery: The embroidery method is also like single set, but the first batch of needles at the outer opening is more, and the number of stitches is smaller in each batch, and the number of stitches is smaller in each batch. Short needle. At the end of the embroidery, all the surrounding lines are concentrated in one eye, one after another, like a single set. 5. Partial-hair tack: It is a tack method for embroidering bird feathers, which is also a tack method for embroidering patch hair. The method is: perform overlay embroidery according to the texture of the piece of hair. The overlay method is the same as the double overlay, except that the lines are slightly longer and shorter. Therefore, some people also call it "long and short sets". 6. Live wool sheath: It is a stitch used to embroider animals. There are two methods of stitching: one is to embroider three stitches flat first, and then add a cross stitch to the third stitch. This embroidery method has certain rules and is embroidered in groups. The second type is tight on the inside and radial on the outside, embroidered from outside to inside. The threads on the second batch cover half of the previous batch and the needles are dropped, turning according to the shape of the animal. There are also two embroidery methods that can be embroidered together. 4. Tuohe needle: Also known as long and short needles. This stitching method uses alternate long and short needles. The back needle emerges from the middle of the front needle. The edges are uneven. It has the advantage of smooth color matching and can be used to embroider simulated images. 5. Acupuncture: Also called acupuncture, it is an acupuncture method in which short straight needles are used to follow the posture of the body, and the subsequent needles follow the previous ones, and are snatched up batch by batch. It can be said that this acupuncture method is the development of straight acupuncture. 6. Flat stitch 1. Flat stitch: It is an embroidery method that uses gold and silver thread instead of silk thread. The method: first lay gold or silver thread flat on the embroidery ground, and then tie it with short silk needles. The distance between each needle is one minute to one and a half minutes, and the needles are filled in circles according to the embroidered pattern. There are two or three rows. , there are also multiple rows. The tied thread should be like a cross pattern on the flower, just like the pattern on the sole of a shoe. 2. Stitching thread: Stitching thread is a special embroidery method that uses thin colored thread instead of gold thread. This colored thread is called brown thread, also called root-wrapped thread. Its embroidery method is similar to that of flat gold, because it has many thread colors and can embroider a much wider range of objects than flat gold.

·Classification by technique

Suzhou embroidery can be divided into two categories according to the stitching method: random stitch embroidery and flat stitch embroidery. Chaos needle embroidery, as the name suggests, is an embroidery method in which the needles are very messy. In fact, it is a seemingly chaotic embroidery, and there are certain rules to follow. Works embroidered with this stitching method are usually made up of an intricate combination of straight and horizontal diagonal lines, criss-crossing and blending. They are then layered and mixed with colors again and again until the light, color and shape are similar.

Compared with random stitch embroidery, flat stitch embroidery has relatively neat arrangement of lines, and very regular starting and dropping of needles. The works embroidered with this stitching method are relatively smooth, and it is more common when embroidering plants, especially flowers. .

·Classification by production region

Local embroidery: Produced in Suzhou (Southern Jiangsu), Jiangsu Province, close to Shanghai. It cannot be said that anything operated by Suzhou merchants can be called Suzhou embroidery. Authentic Suzhou embroidery should be classified as "local embroidery". To be more precise, it should be works embroidered by locals in Suzhou. The embroidery workers are all local people. The products are exquisite and shiny, with coordinated color transitions and split embroidery threads, and the prices are moderate. Northern Jiangsu embroidery: Produced in the Yancheng and Huai'an areas of Jiangsu Province (Northern Jiangsu), Suzhou locals call it Northern Jiangsu embroidery and Jiangbei embroidery. The price is very low, but the workmanship is also very poor. The embroidery thread is not split, but is only two velvet or one and a half velvet. It is not art, it is just graffiti and not elegant. The most classic and famous works include "Golden Avenue" and "Red Maple". Apart from these, it is difficult to improve both the workmanship and the sales price. In recent years, Subei embroidery has disrupted the Suzhou embroidery market, and counterfeit Suzhou embroidery and substandard embroidery have frequently occurred. But objectively speaking, Jiangsu embroidery has also played a positive role in suppressing the price of local embroidery. Baoying Embroidery: Produced in Baoying (Suzhong), Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, it is rich in color and has a strong three-dimensional effect, but the embroidery thread is not split, and is all two-velvet embroidery, that is, one thread is directly embroidered. Therefore, when viewed from a distance or looking at photos, the three-dimensional effect seems acceptable, but when viewed up close, it is quite rough and unforgettable. Landscape and figure random stitch embroidery are its strengths, but delicate work such as character face embroidery (opening of faces) is still left to Suzhou locals who are more skilled. In addition, the price of Baoying embroidery is also high, making it difficult to accept in the domestic market. The waterway refers to the empty line of embroidery land left at the intersection and overlap of embroidered daily necessities patterns. Its function is to distinguish the front and rear layers. The waterway must be empty evenly. When embroidering, you must first embroider and draw a complete pattern on top (let the waterway remain on the pattern below), and then embroider the pattern below. The edges must be embroidered flat, neat, and evenly to ensure that the outline of the pattern is correct and neat.